Finding Herself
by Lvanan18
Summary: Taking a deep breathe, she let the night air fill her lungs. Normal. She felt normal. That's all she wanted in life, was to live as perfectly normal and human as she could.
1. Chapter 1

A/N: Hello. This my first story in awhile and of course it has to be Black Panther because I freaking loved the movie and fell in love with the characters. THis is going to be a timeline storyline meaning its going to span across years for our character and many of the marvel movies but it is mostly centered around the Black Panther world.

Also I'm using T'Challa's alias name from the comics when he went to college. So he'll be named Luke Charles as he uses that name during his college days. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

"Alright y'all I'm headed home now. Have a good night and get home safely." Nia waved to the rest of the occupants in the building before heading out through the door. The chill of the night air against her chestnut toned flesh was a welcome contrast to the heated dance studio she had just walked out of. Running a hand through her blue-toned hair she continued her trek down the street to her apartment. Stopping at the cross walk she took a moment to let her surroundings consume her. Taking a deep breath, she let the night air fill her lungs. Normal. She felt normal. That's all she wanted in life, was to live as perfectly normal and human as she could. Living in Berkeley, CA made it easy to fit in. Hearing the signal from the crosswalk she continued her way across the street.

Finally making it to her destination she trudged up the stairs her tired body protesting every step up. Turning down her corridor she noticed a few people slightly down the hall. She watched as two males carried boxes into a previously empty apartment. Strange, it was kind of late at night for someone to be moving in but she assumed there was less commotion without people awake. Glancing back one last time she was slightly startled as her amber eyes connected the dark ones of a male who had come back to grab some of the stuff left behind. God what fine piece of chocolate- cutting herself off she turned back to her door entering the small abode.

* * *

Standing in the corner of the crowded space she watched as bodies mingled and meshed together as music blared around her. This wasn't her typical setting but every now and then she had to leave her introverted environment and mingle with others, such as regular 20-something-year-olds do. Plus it was one of the last party's before the next semester started. Might as well get her fun in now while she was stress free. She sighed realizing the people she had come with were no longer in sight, effectively ditching her. Lifting the cup to take a swig she hummed to herself finally noticing there was nothing left. Damn it her buzz was gone. In this type of surrounding she didn't feel like dealing with people sober. Migrating the crowd with ease she found herself in the designated beverage area and scooped up a fair amount of the colorful jungle juice to replenish her drink. Turning around she yelped as she suddenly bumped into a tall figure that appeared behind her, sloshing a large portion of the cups contents onto her shorts. 'Fuuuuck' she really was just over this night. Looking up she was surprised to see a semi-familiar face.

"My apologies, Miss." Even with the loud music his voice was smooth with a slight edge and his accent covered her like a warm blanket. God, he had an African accent there was something about accents that made her tremble a little. His 6'0 frame towered over her 5'2 easily. His stance was confident but his whole demeanor seemed skittish as if he wasn't used to this type of setting. With him came an aura that held a certain power behind it that she couldn't quite place.

"Here let me get you some napkins to help…" Nia grabbed his elbow before he could fully turn away, waving her hand  
"No its fine don't worry about it I'm just about ready to leave anyway and plus I have some extra napkins in my car." His lips pulled slightly downward.  
"I hope I wasn't the cause of you leaving, I wouldn't want to be the one to ruin your night."

Nia scoffed lightly at him, setting the cup down on the littered table.  
"Nah it wasn't you, I was bound to leave soon anyway, this" she gestured randomly to her surroundings, "isn't my usual cup of tea so I usually don't stay long. Plus I have a long day tomorrow so I should be heading out anyway."

She assured his protests before taking her leave. The hairs on the back of neck stood on edge as she could feel his presence following her. Even as she twirled and winded her way through the people. Exiting through front door she calmed down thinking she had lost the stranger. That was weird. Sure he was cute but sometimes the cute ones were crazy, especially in the college domain. She really didn't want to drop a guy if it was unneeded. Then again maybe she was over thinking things, he could've just wanted to help also. Exhaling Nia continued down the steps of the house and briskly walked down the block towards the corner of the street she had parked on.

"Excuse me Miss" Startled out of her thoughts she whirled around on the intruder; body turning rigid as it readied itself for an attack. Holy fucking shit where did he come from. Once again it was the same mysterious guy she thought she had left behind. He seemed sheepish, almost embarrassed to be standing in her presence. He rubbed the back of his neck as he seemed to concentrate on the ground.

"I apologize I didn't mean to startle you, but I was wondering if I could catch a ride with you." He put his hands up in defense at her quizzical distrusting look.  
"I mean I noticed we live in the same complex and I'm new here don't quite know my way around fully yet."

Nia stared at the guy her amber eyes darkening slightly as she tried to read him. Jerking her chin in the direction of her car she waited for him to match up with her before she continued walking.

"Sooo what's your name. I'd like to know the name of the person I'll have in my car just in case something….happens" Nia questioned trying to break the ice. He might have been handsome with a fucking sexy accent to boot but she wouldn't just let her guard fully down.

"Luke Charles." Nia blinked and glanced at him from the corner of her eyes, the name didn't fit but she would let slide this time. It could possibly be his 'American' name he was using.

"Alright... Luke, why'd you want to leave the party early?"

"Well, like I'm said I'm new here and a few people invited me out. I thought it'd be a good opportunity to meet new classmates but I didn't expect American parties to be so…wild" He bluntly ended. Nia nodded to herself in understanding, she supposed it could be a bit of a culture shock for him. The two rounded the corner Luke following Nia as she made her way to her car. She unlocked her car and slid into the driver's seat. Leaning over she unlocked the passenger door before opening the passenger glove box grasping a large amount of napkins and closing it allowing Luke to fully sit in the car.

"Once again I apologize miss…."

"Nia. Just Nia," she answered filling in the blank as she dabbed the lower part of her outfit soaking up as much juice as she could.  
"Don't worry about it, it's not that serious." Depositing the napkins into the back of her car. She started her car up and took off down the road.

"Where you from? I mean with an accent like that it has to be somewhere foreign, huh"

Luke shifted nervously in his seat, "I am from a country called Wakanda. I came to America to study business and physics in hope of helping my country."

"Ah UC Berkeley is a good school to explore that."  
"Do you also attend Berkeley" Luke questioned trying to break the ice.

"Oh yeah I do. I'm in the MIMS program," Nia shrugged nonchalantly," I'm almost done and have no idea what I'm gonna do. I keep taking all these extra classes in hope to find something that reaches out to me, but to no avail."

Luke turned his upper body to face her. "I decided my major because I wanted to help my country and people. What is one thing you want to do, see, or be most in life?"

"To be normal."

The silence was deafening. It took a moment before Nia realized the words she had spoken. She silently cursed herself. Normal people didn't say they wanted to be normal. It had been her mantra for so long she couldn't stop herself from blurting it out when he asked. Looking at him she half expected to see his questioning gaze, instead he had held a longing expression.

"Yeah normal would be nice."

The two sat in silence before Nia broke out into a chuckle. They both shared another look before Luke joined in on her laughing. The two didn't know the other's story but in that moment, they felt a small connection.

* * *

Nia would be lying to say if she hadn't kept an eye out for her handsome neighbor. It seemed like her work and school schedule had kept them from running into each other. It had been a few days since she had driven him home. Today was her only off day and instead of using the day to relax like she would like to, she would have to spend it adulting. She had no food in her fridge and a ton of laundry to get done. She opened her window to check weather outside. She was greeted by then sun kissing her cheeks and the wind tickling her nose. She couldn't keep the smile from breaking out across her face. Today was so nice. Maybe she would walk to the store. It wasn't too far and it gave her a chance to enjoy the weather a little more. Making her decision she threw her hair up in a messy bun, slapped on a pair of spandex shorts and a light jacket before heading out on her endeavor.

He watched from down the aisle as she reached for the top shelf, her shirt rose up exposing the toned chestnut skin of her stomach. His eyes traced the stretch of her calves and thighs that were showcased by the athletic shorts she wore. He strode over and plucked the item off the top shelf she had been reaching for before handing it to her. Nia blinked for a moment, her face brightening when she realized who it was.

"Oh hey, Thank you." She swiped a stray curl behind her ear. They shuffled in silence before Nia made to move.  
"Um well thanks for your help. I guess I should get going." She deposited the item into her basket, waving to Luke as she walked away.

Nia briskly walked away trying not to make it seem like she was in too much of a hurry. She never really learned how to talk to guys and she didn't want to make a fool of herself at this moment. She got into the checkout line. She waited for her turn, she shifted from foot to foot still feeling like Luke was looking at her. She subconsciously looked around. Her eyes caught with his dark orbs a few rows down, Nia squeaked and returned to her items. She paid the cashier, took her items, and left. Nia struggled to lift some of the bags she had. She had only expected to grab a few things but kind of went overboard the moment she got into the store. She readjusted the bags trying to find a comfortable spot for her to carry them home. Part of her wish she drove.

"Let me help you with those." A rich voice vibrated from behind her. Before she could object, large calloused hands lifted some of the bags out of her grasp.

"Wait no, no! Its fine. I can carry them by myself," Nia interjected reaching for the bag that Luke held out of her arm's length.

"I will not stand by and watch you struggle. It is only right that I help." He brandished her with a look that made here reconsider.

"Ok kind sir, let's go." Nia trekked down the street knowing Luke would follow.

"I see you did not bring your car." Luke mused aloud. Nia sent a smirk his way.  
"Why? Tired already?"

"Of course not. I am slightly surprised to see you walking. Most people choose to drive no matter the distance."  
Nia's lips pressed into a thin line. "I'm not most people. It was nice out and I decided it was only right to enjoy this weather while its here." She tilted her face squinting slightly at the sunlight.

"Do you do this often? Go around helping damsels in distress?"  
"Of course not! Only for the pretty ones."  
"Oh you think I'm pretty huh?" Nia gave him a side eye glance. He was probably teasing but she couldn't stop the feel of her heart speeding up at being called pretty.

They had arrived at their apartment building a lot faster than Nia thought it would take. Deep down inside she was happy to be almost home. She didn't know how to react with such a handsome guy paying her this much attention outside of her job.

"I mean to say that you caught my eye. There's something different about you." The hairs raised on Nia's neck to hear that. They stopped in her doorway. Nia set a few bags down to open her door. She tossed her groceries in and turned around to grab the one's Luke held, a lot faster than he had anticipated.

"Well thank you for being a gentleman. Um see you around, thanks for the help." Nia scurried into her home closing the door as fast as she could, leaving Luke in the hallway confused at what just happened. Behind closed doors Nia slid down the door trying to control her breathing. Her hands rubbed her temples at her erratic thoughts. He was only being friendly right? But for her being friendly was dangerous. Even if it was nothing she needed to nip this in the bud for the safety of herself. She literally met this guy twice and he already 'felt something different about her'. Nope she would definitely have to keep her distance.

* * *

A/N: Yeah Nia has a secret you'll just have to see it unfold. Until next time please don't hesitate to give feedback. Constructive criticism welcomed.


	2. Chapter 2

A/N: Hola I'm back. This took longer than I expected but I finally finished finals so I had time to finish this. This one is more of snippets of interactions. Once again constructive criticism is welcomed.

 **EDIT: Sorry about that. I'm not sure what happened to the format but thank you for letting me know it wasn't right. Here's the updated version and hopefully something doesn't happen to it again.**

* * *

Nia walked across campus browsing through the syllabus the teacher had emailed last minute. Class was tomorrow and he wanted them to have their textbook already. She entered the library wanting to see if they had in stock for her to borrow temporarily and check book prices she could.

It only took her 30 minutes to find out that out of all the math books they held, they didn't carry the one she needed. Also that her book was almost $300. Money that she did not have at the moment. Irritated she took herself home to figure out what she was going to do.

Coming up the stairs she whipped around the corner. The small woman slammed into a figure causing her paper to fall to the floor.  
"Damnit," she cursed bring a hand to her face. Did she run into the wall or something. Instead of a wall she was met the strong, build of a man. Not just any man, it was Luke. Of course it had be him. He picked up her discarded paper. Luke was about to hand it to her when something on it caught his attention.

"Calculus? Pretty advanced for someone in the MIMS programs." Luke read a little more until the tiny woman held out her hand, expecting the syllabus back.

"What can I say,I like the challenge. Thank you, but I must get going." She took the paper and side stepped him, heading back down to her home.

"You're welcome," Luke shouted after her, "I've taken the class already and wouldn't mind helping if you need it."

Nia froze as she registered what he said. If he's already taken the class then there was a strong chance he probably still had his book. Reversing her walk she stopped in front of Luke staring him down. She gave him a wide puppy-dog eyes as she held the syllabus out to his face.

"Please tell me you still have this book leftover! It costs $265 and I really don't have that money right now. I'll owe you one," Nia pleaded. She stared at him hard waiting for a response.

"I do believe that I have that book still in my position." He motioned her to follow him back to his place and Nia was more than happy to comply.

Entering his apartment Nia was surprised to see how neat and precise everything was. The pristine interior wasn't what she expected at all. There was minimal decoration but the adornments on his wall were clearly of african heritage and probably helped give his apartment a sense of home. He had books piled in different areas of the room but even they seemed like they were meticulously organized and placed. Luke headed toward a corner browsing for moment before plucking the correct book. He spun around; his arm stretched out to hand it to her. The moment Nia reached out to grab it, he yanked it out of her reach. He grinned down at her "You owe me, correct?"

He laughed at the haste she shook her head. Placing it gently in her hands. Nia thanked him quickly as she slipped out of his home.

* * *

"Nia!" The call startled her as she waited for the small campus café to make her order. She turned and was greeted by Luke waving at her from a distance surrounded by a small group of people. He was good looking, athletic, and smart; of course it would be easy for him to make friends here. He shouldn't be wasting his time on a loner like her. He motioned for her to join him even though the rest of his group seemed apprehensive. Nia started considering what she should do. When the barista called her order, she grabbed her items and headed towards the exit. He had other friends and didn't need her. It would be the best for them both if they didn't get too attached to each other.

The brown-skinned woman walked through the lot to her car. Sitting in her car she rested in for a moment. She took a deep breath before releasing a yell and began banging her forehead against the steering wheel. Sitting up and Nia was shocked to see another student staring at her incredulously due to her display. She sheepishly waved at the other student as they walked away giving her the side eye. Slumping in her seat she ran a hand down her face. Why was it so hard to act like she didn't care with Luke. Most people it was easy to keep at arm's length but with him- with him everything was so different. Whenever he smiled her way it made her heart skip a beat, when he spoke she strained to listen to every word he said, she sometimes found herself searching for him. Just his whole vibe made her feel so comfortable and safe. It had to be a crush just a stupid little crush that would (hopefully) fade with time. That way she could move on her with her solitary lifestyle.

* * *

Nia sat on the bed with one running shoe on and the other in her hand. She had a far way look as her mind ran around a certain dark and handsome male she had been semi-avoiding. He was trouble to her. He was very intelligent, was very involved in sports, and was very popular amongst the student body. There had been multiple times he had invited her to hang out with him and others or seemed genuinely excited to see her in public even though she mostly declined or went the other way. Getting involved with him meant interacting with others. She liked to keep her circle small. Although, she couldn't deny that her eyes would seek him out whenever she saw him in public. She would look, but she wouldn't touch. No matter how much she wanted to. Nia snapped back to reality putting on her other shoe. She figured an early morning run would help her clear her thoughts of him. She grabbed her keys and went downstairs to start her run.

Nia drove to a nearby park, one that was hardly used. It was pristine and had many long running trails that she had used multiple times. At 7 am there was usually no one there to disturb her. Opening the car door she was greeted by the morning air. The cool weather felt so good against her heated skin. She began her warm up enjoying the morning glow.

Nia picked a secluded trail, one that she had run many times before, and set off with a little power walk. Slowly she began to build up to a slight jog. She was enjoying the silence until moments later she could hear heavy, fast steps behind her. Nia assumed it was another jogger. She paid them no mind as she moved out of the way to let them pass. After about 10 minutes, she was deep into the park and the person behind her still hadn't passed her. She tried not focus on them as they followed her. The other runner slow down and sped up with her, it was obvious that they were keeping in tune with her pace. Tired of their shit she sped off intent on losing them from their trail. She glanced behind her and realized that the person was no longer behind her. She returned to a light jog satisfied that she put distance between them. Just when she had started to relax she heard the hard patter of someone running. Knowing it was most likely the same person Nia turned to catch who it was. She was almost thrown off her feet when the person whizzed by her. It was only a moment, but she had seen it. The way he smiled and looked at her from the corner of his eyes as he ran passed her. It was a challenge and the message was clear. 'I was able to keep up with you, can you keep up with me?' She was never one to back down from a challenge. Without a second thought she took off after Luke.

She ran at her fastest speed catching up to him in no time. He might be on the track team, but he didn't know that she trained like she was. Exercising was like second nature. Nia ran up next to the tall stature of Luke. She maintained her pace next to him catching his attention for a moment. She stuck her tongue out at him before speeding off into the distance. Sending her message back to him. 'Eat my dust'.

She could feel him hot on her heels as she zig-zagged along the path making sure he couldn't get around. Nia let out a sharp yelp when he pushed her lightly out of the way. Nia stumbled but caught herself. Oh if he wanted to play dirty she could play dirty. She rammed her small body into his. It barely caused him to wobble but it was enough to throw him off a little. Nia used it to her advantage to run like Hell. Luke was literally a hair's breadth away from her. There was no way she could let him win. She had to prove she was superior. She pushed herself as fast of her could. She didn't notice that her strides seemed a lot longer or how her feet would barely grazed the ground. Her only focus was on winning. The victory was in sight she could see the park clearing, signaling the end of the trail. The two runners broke into the clearing at the same moment before immediately collapsing onto the ground. Nia was completely winded, she never had to run at full speed. She was slightly annoyed to see that even though Luke was breathing semi-hard it seemed like he didn't even break a sweat.  
"Good job at keeping up." She threw* at Luke watching him do a cool down stretch. It had been ages since she raced someone and honestly she forgot how much fun it could be to let go like that.

"I didn't know you could run so fast. For a moment it looked like your feet were barely touching the ground."  
Nia's face soured at him. That was probably why she didn't race anymore. She was actually having a good time and then he had to go and say shit like that. Her facial expression went unnoticed by Luke. She sat up making her way to her car. Damn him. It was split moment later that luke realized she was already halfway across the park. He jogged to catch up to her.  
"Hey what happened? Are you ok?"  
"I'm fine." Nia mumbled as they made it to her car.  
Luke blinked before relaxing. "Ok, I thought maybe we could be running partners. I don't know anyone nearby I can train with. With us being being neighbors it would make sense, no." He was a very sweet guy and she had to remember that he really didn't have anyone here with him either. Nia could feel a sharp tug in her heart as he seemed genuinely hopeful she would say yes. She had to say no. She just had to.

"We'll see." She whispered as she got in her car. Damn she was going soft.

* * *

Nia's brow furrowed in frustration as she rewrote the equation for the third time. She worked through the equation satisfied when she actually ended up with an answer this time. Flipping to the back of her textbook, she nearly threw the book across the room when she saw that her answer was wrong. She groaned agitated and slumped in her chair. She had been at this for an hour and was only on the fourth problem. She wasn't too bad in math and assumed she would be able to handle the class workload; her last two test scores had proven that wrong though. Calculus was hell. Beginning of the semester and she was already bombing that class. She sat staring at the ceiling before making a decision. Gathering all her material she left her apartment in search of help. Luke had offered his help and she would be a dumbass if she didn't take it. She needed all the help she could get. Swallowing her pride, she knocked on the door her neighbor. It wasn't long before the door opened. Whatever Nia had prepared to say flew out the window. She froze as she registered what she was looking at. Her eyes dilated as she took in the chiseled chest of Luke. He had answered the door in lonely a pair of gray sweats and socks. This wasn't usually her. She didn't get tripped up over guys but damn, it didn't mean she was quickly immune to his sex appeal.  
"Can I help you?" Nia tried to push all the dirty thoughts to the back of her mind.  
"Um... Can you help me find the D? I mean, the variable," Nia stuttered, "I-its math..." She ended weakly, holding up the textbook. Luke's face puzzled at first quickly morphed into a welcoming smile. He stepped to the side giving her space to enter. Nia tried to gather whatever dignity she had left and scurried into his room.

She plopped herself on the couch shifting nervously as Luke closed the door. She had been in his apartment before, but this time seemed so much more intimate. Maybe she was just making it up in her mind.

"Would you like something to drink?" Luke asked as he moved in her direction. She shook her head no not trusting herself to speak at the moment. The tall man disappeared down a hall, she assumed he was going to put on a shirt.  
"No, no. Thank you."

Luke slid onto the couch next to her and waited until Nia stopped at the chapter she was struggling with. He looked at the chapter for a moment before asking her a few questions. After awhile he leaned forward to write in her notebook a mock question.

He handed her the paper and started to explain. Luke took it slowly and for once Nia could fully understand what was being asked. Together they would go over each problem step by step. Being so close to each other, Luke could see the desire and determination to succeed in Nia's eyes.

"Calculus is a course that requires many hours of dedication in order to do it properly. You will need to practice this more on your own."

The rest of that afternoon they worked as normal, but she was always aware of him brushing up against her or the jolts she felt when their fingers met as he handed her something. Throughout the session, his piercing gaze burned holes into her. Nia found that she couldn't look the dark man directly at his face. Instead, She averted her gaze, looking down at his hands, displayed in the open as he pointed out certain things in her book. She bit her lip slightly as she studied how long and big his hands were. This was bad very bad. She shouldn't be thinking about him like this. She only came for help, she would get it and leave right away after.

Even with the plan to leave right after Nia still had difficulty concentrating, she found her eyes leaving the paper and drifting the way his arms muscles moved when he pointed out certain things or even when he was talking for long moments his tongue would swipe out to moisten his lips. He would shift breaking her trance* and she would return to the problems after awhile she was able to work out his practice problems with little difficulty. "Very Good!" He exclaimed. "Here, try to do the problems in your book."

Nia looked at the equations and it was like she was seeing things clearly, they all made sense. She took her pencil, smiled and worked straight through the problem in just a few minutes. When done she flipped the paper over to Luke and smiled. Luke looked it over and gave her a sharp head nod.

"Yes!" She yelled jumping up and threw her arms into the air in celebration. She suddenly turned to hug Luke joining him in her small celebration. Luke joined in on her hug, his thick arms wrapped around her small waist before he tenderly placed a kiss on Nia's cheek. Amber orbs widened for a split second before she reeled back out of his hold. It was a very innocent kiss, to most a kiss on the cheek was nothing but for her it was going too far.

"Woah, I'm sorry I got excited, but i just-" She paused for a moment as they stared at the other. One searching for answers the other trying to make sense of what to do. Nia rose gathering her things in haste. Luke followed her lead trying to grasp her but Nia easily dodged his attempts.  
"Nia I apologize. I thought i mean- i thought there was signs. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable." "I can't be here with you. I appreciate the help and I'm sorry for bothering you." She excited his home, believing she had brought this upon herself. He was handsome and any other girl would have been happy to have his attention on them. She couldn't deny that she was attracted to him and had already developed some sort crush on him the few times she saw him around campus but there was no way she could make this work.

* * *

Nia hugged the thick gray cardigan around her body as she made her way down the street. She usually walked straight home from work because the distance wasn't that far and she never had a problem. Tonight the hankering for a bag of chips and soda had her veering of course to nearby gas station to ease her cravings. It wasn't necessarily bad area but no matter where the are was night time always seemed to bring out the foolish people. Tonight she really just wanted her snacks and a good night sleep.

"Hey there shorty." She almost choked on the overwhelming stench of smoke. There was a group of 3-4 males standing in the parking lot of the small convenience store. The leered at her in a certain way, but she didn't even give them a glance. She planned to keep walking zeroed in on her goal. Until a hand reached out and grabbed her. She took a few deep breaths. What gave this person permission to touch her, she wondered as she got ready to lay into the jackass with the grubby fingers.

"Didn't you hear me talking to you?" Nia whipped around snatching her arm out of his hold. She gave him a once over settling with a disgusted look at what she saw.

"Oh, is that how you approach a woman?" Nia asked, acid dripping in the sweetness of her voice. She snatched her arm away, fighting the urge to rub away the soreness.  
"Does that work for you?" Nia glared at the boy, her eyes changing from a warm amber to a dark brown with almost a reddish tint.  
"Whatever happened to, 'you know you're a pretty lady can I take you out?' Does that shit work outside of desperate women who have no class and no self-worth, thinking they're lucky that some jackass like you-" She waved her hand down his body, exemplifying his raggedy appearance, "-is hittin' on 'em?"

She cocked her head to the side, pretending to listen for his answer. She heard the stifled chuckles of the men behind him. She should have let it go and she probably would have, but he had touched her. She wasn't down with anybody touching her at the moment. He was lucky, most guys she'd just lay them out like her father taught her. They didn't know what they were getting themselves into with her. She was tiny but she could flip him over a shoulder in an instant.

"Who the fuck are you talking to you fucking bitch?" The fool was getting in her face and she felt her blood boil, her hands became extremely hot. She quelled the burning desire rushing through her veins, it left behind a tingling itch to pop his ass.

"I'm talking to you! You obviously need help learning how to pickup a real woman, and my first bit of advice is to ask permission before you touch her."

The tall male stepped up, ready to strike when suddenly an arm snatched his hand mid-air. In a split moment the male was flipped onto his back his arm twisted behind him. The intervener wore their dark hoodie up blocking their face from Nia's view. They held the guys arm in place causing him to cry out. The other occupants, momentarily stunned, regrouped. They charged the person not wanting to leave their homie be made a fool like that. The hidden figure moved in a timely manner disarming each male that came their way with practiced ease. It all happened in a matter of seconds the group of males were strewn out on the concrete, each of them groaning in pain. The hidden person walked over to the original male pulling him up to his feet. They slid the hoodie off revealing the one person she had been avoiding.

"You should apologize to this lovely lady,"He whispered to the guy in his hold.  
"Maan, I ain't saying shit to this-" The sharp hold on a pressure point cut off the rest of his sentence.  
"Apologize. To this. Lovely Lady." Luke quipped. His tone was sharp leaving no room for argument.

"I'm sorry." The apology was small but it was enough for Luke. With on last stern look he pushed the wannabe thug into the direction of his group. They all tried to compose themselves as they made their way up the street.

"You ain't that fine no way; I got plenty of women wanting this dick. Fucking uppity ass bitch," he mumbled, walking away with his crew.

Nia pursed her lips unsure what to make of what just happened. She could have handled the situation, not at all was she expecting for someone to step in. And it being Luke no less. Sure she had exercised with him and seen him at the gym but he handled them like it was nothing. That wasn't street fighting, that was trained combat. She stared at him trying to analyze him. She would file it away for later.

"Thanks. Although I could've handled them." She tossed over her shoulder heading back into the direction of the gas station. Luke quickly fell in step with her.

"It's kind of late to walking alone."

"I work up the street and like I said I can handle trouble that comes my way." Nia nodded to the cashier behind the counter.

Amber eyes scanned the chip selection for a few moments before she picked her preferred salty snack. Heading towards the back she was aware Luke was still following her.  
"You know how to fight? Did you take martial arts when you were younger?" To anybody else it would have seemed like small talk, but she could tell he was digging for something. He wanted tidbits to give him insight to her life. He wanted answers to something.

"My father trained me. Didn't want to leave his only girl unprotected." Partial truth was still truth.

"Oh mine too. Maybe we can train together."

She scoffed at him. "I mean you have some cool moves and all but I doubt you'd be able to keep up."  
She could see his eyebrows raise at her subtle challenge. He settled her with a dark look, the same one she had seen when he challenged her to their race at the park.

"I will take that as a challenge." He chuckled lightly, the sound of it vibrating through her chest. "I know of a nearby gym that we can spar at if you're willing. Maybe you can teach me something new." He was trying to get a foot in the door, metaphorically speaking. Nia could tell he wanted find out more about her. She didn't like this. She paid for her items and exited the store headed back home.

She remained silent as they both walked home together. He would ask certain questions to which she would promptly ignore. He would pause for a moment, but continue talking a moment later. She clenched her job as they neared their apartment complex. It was such a shame he seemed like a really nice guy, deep down she knew he would react just like every other person in her life she opened up to him. It was relief when they made it to her front door.

"Look Luke-' She cut him off mid-sentence of whatever he was saying "-you're nice and all but whatever you think is between us needs to end now. Everybody at school already knows I'm the outcast, so maybe would should just keep the status quo. You have a goodnight." She slammed the door shut missing the look of hurt and pain in his eyes. Maybe now things would go back to normal and she could shake off this crush.

* * *

Nia was slumped in bed deep in sleep. Her dream was broken by the sharp twill of an alarm. She jumped up body going into flight or fight mode. It took her a moment to process it was the fire alarm. She groaned considering what harm it could do if she stayed in her apartment. It wasn't until that she heard banging on her door did she make her decision. Cursing under her breath she grabbed a random shirt on the floor and put it on.

"I am going to kill someone if it's another person who burned their popcorn and set the fire alarm off." Yanking the door open she was prepared to yell at the individual to leave her alone. The slight look of panic Luke held threw her off guard.

"Nia we must go. The building might be in danger." Oh was he seriously that naïve. Nia relaxed lightly, he was only trying to follow the rules.

"Look around Luke not many people are leaving." He looked around genuinely surprised that there were only a few residents making their way out of their home. "It's most likely some dumbass who tripped the fire alarm. It happens a lot here."

Nia made to close the door. "Its midterms and I have a test in the morning, I don't give a fuck if I get fined I'm going back to sleep." Nia couldn't completely close the door. She looked down realizing he had shoved his foot into the doorway. He didn't have to say anything; the pleading look he gave her said it all.

"Fine," Nia grunted, slipping on a pair of sandals by the door and followed Luke out of the building into the cold night air.

Nia stood outside arms crossed as she waited for the alarms to stop sounding. Luke was frigid next to her. He tried to not show it, but Nia could tell the cold was getting to him. The cold never really bothered her. Taking pity on him she placed a hand on his sleeved arm. His eyes widened.

"You're so warm," he stated, staring down at her in amazement.

"Yeah yeah, I get that a lot. Go ahead and hold me," Nia ordered. Luke shifted unsure of her request causing her to roll her eyes.  
"Look, it's cold outside. You're freezing, I'm warm. It'll be a one time thing. Plus I owe you one remember. Hold me to keep yourself warm." She moved to stand right in front him, her back to his chest. It was hesitant at first, but gradually she could feel him wrap his arms around her. When fully situated he sighed basking in the heat she was emitting.  
"You're like a little space heater," he whispered, thoroughly enjoying the warmth. "How are you so warm?"  
"It's a secret." The petite woman muttered relaxing into his hold.

Having Luke hold her like that just felt so right, although she would never admit it out loud. She had gotten so comfortable she had started dozing off until the loud wailing of an alarm broke her from the light nap. The large truck entering the lot with the lights flashing, exasperated her more.

"Great the fire fighters are here, I might just go sleep in my car." She pulled out of Luke's arms headed toward her car to get somewhat more of a decent sleep.

Sitting her car, she lowered her seat all the way down, making a makeshift bed. She peeked open an eye hearing her car door open. She stared at Luke a while longer when he plopped into the passenger seat. Nia turned on the power to get some heat in the car and threw her hands behind the chair rest attempting to get comfortable.

"How come some days you act like you don't want me near you and other days you're friendly. You were the first person to make me feel welcomed here and now you don't want anything to do with me. Did I do something?"

Nia frowned, the young woman certainly wasn't expecting that. Especially at a time like this. She didn't think how she was acting would affect him. In honestly, she knew she was being selfish. She found that she liked his company and that he was incredibly helpful, but the moment she felt like they were getting too close she would push him away. There was no way she could explain why she was doing it to him. She tilted her head to face him; for the first time she could see the hurt on his face.

"Luke, honestly, it personally has nothing to do with you. Its just—" Nia froze trying to explain her situation. "It's just bad things happen when most people get too close to me. I just found it easier to keep people at arm's length." Even in her ears it sounded like a sad excuse. She hoped he wouldn't question it more. His face morphed into something she could easily decipher. Behind the mask she could see the shielded loneliness, the same look she had seen when they first met. It was something she could relate to.

"I'm not most people." His words were quiet but it carried a lot of weight. It was the first time she had heard him sound upset. Luke exited her car leaving her with her thoughts.

* * *

A/N: Yay chapter 2 done! Hoped ya'll enjoyed. Come visit me on tumblr I could use some friends, Lvanan18. Feel free to send me questions or to just stop by and chat I like meeting new people.


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